UAE Good Conduct Certificate: Which Nationalities Need Police Clearance for a Visa in 2026

Since April 2026, the ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) has required a police clearance certificate — officially a good conduct certificate (شهادة حسن السيرة والسلوك) — with new entry permits for work for a growing list of nationalities. The UAE is reported to have briefly run a similar requirement in 2018 before suspending it; the 2026 version arrived quietly, through circulars to free zones and typing centres rather than a single public announcement, which is why most applicants first hear about it when an application bounces. This guide covers who needs the certificate, for which applications, and how to obtain and attest one — from abroad or from inside the UAE.

At a Glance

What Counts as a Good Conduct Certificate

A good conduct certificate — police clearance certificate (PCC), criminal record check — is issued by the police or justice ministry of the country where you live or hold nationality, and confirms the absence of a criminal record. For UAE immigration use it must be recent (about three months is the accepted shelf life in most channels) and, when issued abroad, legalised for the UAE through the attestation chain below. Certificates are typically issued in days and cost little; the attestation is where the time and money go.

Who Needs One — The Nationality Lists

ICP publishes no list of the "announced categories" its visa-issuance service refers to. The official list we found is RAKEZ's, which relays ICP's update for new employment visas, employee and investor: its visa service cards name 25 nationalities — Afghanistan, Algeria, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tonga, Uganda and Zambia — and its notice of 17 July 2026 dates ten of them (Ghana, Lebanon, Lithuania, Morocco, Mozambique, Pakistan, Senegal, Syria, Tonga and Zambia) from 20 July 2026. Since June 2026, agent and consultancy notices have circulated a three-phase list of 45 nationalities, attributed to an ICP circular sent through free zones. No ICP, MOFA, u.ae or GDRFA page publishes it, and it differs from RAKEZ's list: it adds India, Somalia and the Gambia to the first phase, dates Pakistan from 16 June and Nigeria from 15 August, and leaves out Kenya, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Zambia. As circulated, it reads:

Treat the three-phase list as unconfirmed. It is the only source for India, Bangladesh, the Philippines and the Phase 3 nationalities, versions of it differ at the edges, and requirements may differ between free zones and emirates; earlier agent notices from April 2026 also named Indonesia, and some named Myanmar. If your nationality is on either list, or is one of those two, have an attested certificate ready before the visa is filed, and have the typing center or free zone confirm whether the certificate field is mandatory for your nationality that week, or call ICP on 600 522 222.

Which Applications It Applies To

The requirement attaches to new entry permits for work — the approval that precedes an employment residence visa, and work-mission visas — filed with ICP in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates: ICP's visa-issuance service lists the certificate among the documents for the entry visas that government, private or free zone employers request for a work mission or residency, and RAKEZ applies it to new employee and investor visas. Neither names family or tourist visas, though some agents report being asked for a certificate on those too. Renewals of an existing residence visa generally do not trigger it, though some free zones report requesting it on renewals too. Dubai files run through GDRFA, which maintains its own document requirements — if you are applying through Dubai, confirm with an Amer centre rather than assuming either way.

Requirements by Situation

Bhutan-issued certificates, once attested by Bhutan's foreign ministry, are attested by the UAE Embassy in New Delhi through MOFA's digital attestation. Where the UAE has no mission covering the issuing country (Tonga and several smaller states on the lists), contact the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, called MOFAIC until May 2023) through its Contact Center before you start — its attestation service tells applicants to do so when there is no UAE mission in the country where they are located — and budget extra weeks for the courier loop.

Getting a Police Clearance Inside the UAE

People who held UAE residence and are applying again from inside the country — the cancelled-visa scenario — use the local certificate instead: the Ministry of Interior issues a federal good conduct certificate online (MOI website or app, with UAE PASS and your Emirates ID), and Dubai Police issue their own for people whose UAE history is Dubai-based. Fees depend on the issuer: Dubai Police charge residents AED 220 (AED 200 plus the AED 20 knowledge and innovation fee) and quote five working days, while the MOI federal certificate costs AED 50 for use inside the UAE or AED 100 for use abroad (plus AED 50 fingerprinting for visitors and GCC nationals, per the MOI service listing), and either certificate arrives digitally. Mind the shelf life: MOI's certificate is valid for 30 days from issue and Dubai Police's for three months, and applicants without an Emirates ID give fingerprints in person.

Attestation — The Part That Takes the Time

For certificates issued abroad, RAKEZ's notice relaying ICP's update specifies attestation by the UAE embassy, with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stamp completing the chain. Where the UAE mission offers MOFA's digital attestation — New Delhi, Mumbai, Islamabad and Abuja do — one online application on MOFA's website covers both stamps. Despite widespread agency claims to the contrary, the UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention (HCCH status table, checked October 2026), so an apostille from your home country does not replace the embassy step — budget for the full chain. The full chain, costs and timelines are covered in document attestation. For step-by-step issuing instructions per nationality — India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Nigeria — see police clearance by country.

If Your Application Was Rejected

Two practitioner habits worth copying. First, when a rejection reason is given, the Arabic text is the operative version — have it translated precisely; the English summary is often generic. Second, visa agents report that attaching a police clearance certificate voluntarily — even where the field is optional for your nationality — measurably helps reapplications after a rejection, alongside fixing the mundane causes (passport-number typos, name mismatches between documents, flight details that don't match the application). A rejection is not a ban; corrected reapplications are routinely approved. The full sequence — finding the operative reason, the common causes, fees and timelines, and the tourist-visa route back in — is in why UAE visas get rejected and how to reapply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the good conduct certificate apply to tourist visas?

Not on the official record. ICP's visa-issuance service lists the certificate among the documents for a work entry permit, and RAKEZ applies it to new employee and investor visas; neither names tourist visas. Some agents report being asked for one on tourist applications for listed nationalities, so confirm with the agency filing yours.

Do visa renewals need a good conduct certificate?

Generally no — the requirement targets new entry permits. Some free zones have asked for it on renewals as well, so treat "no" as the default and your free zone's word as final.

Are GCC residents exempt?

No exemption has been reported. A residence permit in another GCC state does not carry over to the UAE — each application is assessed as new, so a listed nationality needs the certificate regardless of where they currently live.

Does the rule apply to Golden Visa applications?

No official exemption has been published either way. Golden Visa files run through the same ICP system, so assume the certificate field can appear for listed nationalities and have one ready — it is never wasted paper in a UAE immigration file.

How recent must the certificate be?

For a home-country certificate, issue it within about three months of the application; attestation can consume weeks of that window, so start the chain immediately after issue. A UAE certificate carries its own validity: 30 days from issue for MOI's, three months for Dubai Police's.

Does this apply to Dubai visa applications?

The official record we found is ICP-side: ICP's visa-issuance service and RAKEZ's notice relaying ICP's update. GDRFA Dubai sets its own document requirements, and its work-visa service page lists no good conduct certificate; confirm through an Amer centre for Dubai files.

Related reading: how to check your visa status, document attestation, ICP, GDRFA, and the wider UAE visa guide.